The Changing Demography of Higher Education

The number of Latino students attending college (2-year and 4-year institutions) has reached an all-time high in the United States, now comprising the largest of any minority demographic at 16.5 percent. With more than 50 million people, the Latino community accounts for roughly the same percent of the U.S. population. According to the Pew Hispanic Center, a Washington, DC based research organization, the number of Latino students (18 to 24 years of age) enrolled in four-year colleges rose to more than 1.2 million within the last year, as similar trends were seen among two-year colleges. Furthermore, the percentage of all Latino students ages 18 to 24 having a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) in 2011 rose to 76.3 percent. An assessment of pre-K through grade 12 public school students also reveals the direction of the future. Latinos now account for almost one quarter of all public school students.